The loss
by Naebler
Summary: The wolf finds his Falcon, dead in the snow. He loses control and ends up bound.


"The loss"

Okay, here is how it is, I haven't had time to write much, because of college and such, but I hope this will appease you until my next installment. As I said I am at college and don't have my books with me so I can't check spellings and such of char names and objects. So sit back and cry with our hero, in my second fan fic of Robert Jordan's wheel of time….

"The loss"

By: Naebler

Tears streamed down his dirty, blood covered cheeks as he dismounts his stallion Stepper. How could it happen, how? He rode as hard as possible; he even beat the Aiel to the site, but too late. Lying on the ground in a white woolen robe is the limp dark haired form of the woman he loved. Kneeling in the snow, Perrin tries to pick up her hand, but finds its blood frozen to the ground.Surveying the scene, he notices nothing else, except for his bride, her limp form frozen to the ground. Rubbing his eyes, he looks down again, just to make sure the form was really his falcon, his Faile. It was. Rubbing her cold white face gently with the back of his hand, new tears started to flow. Raising his face to the heavens, he let his tears go unchecked. Opening his mouth, he lets out a growl stronger then any wolf. Firepatch and Sundancer stop their pack and raise their own heads in a mourning howl.

Perrin never notices that Elyas and Gaul had joined him at the site. Pulling gently on the body before him, Perrin frees Faile from her frozen shackles. Each limb makes a cracking, popping noise as it comes free, leaving dead flesh stuck to ice. Faile lay limp in his arms, Perrin knowing not what to do, walks around in a haze. He lost his parents and siblings to the Trollics, He lost Rand to himself, he lost Egwene and Nynavae to the tower. Now he lost his beloved, his life to the Aiel. No The Shaido, only the Shaido. Stopping he raises his face to the sky and again howls, hearing other wolves join him.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder caused him to look at the men behind him. Elyas' Golden eyes stare into Perrin's. "Son, she is gone. You must let her go. If we act quickly we can still stop the ones who did this. Let me bury he-"

"NO!" Perrin growled. "I'll do it, then every Shaido will feel the sting of my axe." Pulling a shovel from Stepper's saddle, Perrin starts to dig through the tough ground. Elyas, motioning to the two rivers men to help as well. Pulls his shovel out of his own saddle and starts to work.

Sitting her saddle, on the hilltop above the massacre, Berlain holds a kerchief to her eyes, and sobs silently. She may not have liked Faile, and may have wanted her husband. But no one deserved what happened to her, and what it does to the blacksmith, tears her heart out. To see those dozen men digging one grave in the ice covered ground to lay one body in, while her soldiers burned the rest. Shows how much respect these men had for her and have for their Lord Perrin.

Further away from the digging, squats a solitary figure, wrapped in browns and grays, touches a white clad figure lying before him. Kissing his fingers, he places them to the face of the limp form. Standing the Aiel man, Gaul uses a spear to dig a narrow, but deep hole. Stripping of the white he places the corpse feet first into the hole, then buries it. And pausing only briefly does the same for another. By this time Perrin and the two rivers men, with the help of Elyas, are finished and standing over the grave of Lady Faile Tabard.

Turning his back on the love of his life. Perrin realizes, that a piece of him died with her and is buried in that ground as well. Mounting Stepper, Perrin notices for the first time a solemn Gaul. Quietly and asks. "Did you…find her Gaul?"

The Aiel man just nodded and turned away.

"Two rivers mount!" Perrin bellows. "We go after these bastards and wipe them out now!"

Random cries went up for "The Two Rivers" and "For Perrin Golden Eyes."

"No." The crowd went silent at the tone of Perrin's voice. "For Faile!" With that he turns his steed and starts off in the direction the tracks lead.

Riding down the icy trail, Perrin opens his mind and calls his brothers. One eye and her pack along with many other wolves, echo a response at the picture of young bull and his scent. After the pleasantries are exchanged and his feelings conveyed, he asks the wolves for their help. At the mention of the murder of Young bull's she Perrin could hear howls from all around. Some of the two rivers men and Berlain's Soldiers Shuffled in their saddles and looked each way; pulling their weapons as well Perrin received the response he knew all too well, _We come._ At that, hundred's of wolves appear out of the woods and surround the human party.

Perrin felt more then heard the arrow be drawn back in the short bow. Turning quickly, Perrin has enough time to yell out "No!" before the arrow is released from a member of Berlain's party. The arrow hits its target straight in the chest. Lifting his Face into the air and howls in rage. Riding forward he comes up in front of the killer. The wolves had surrounded their own and took up a defensive position. Enraged thoughts and pain are passed through his connection. Grabbing the killer's bow he breaks it in half. Then reaches for the attackers throat. "Never kill a wolf, do you hear me?" Raising his voice "None of you." Perrin pushed the killer off his horse then Rode to the downed wolf. But Elyas had beaten him there.

"It's not good. Perrin, the wolf is close to death, Foxhunter is going to die. Unless we do something drastic."

"May I be of Help?" turning quickly reaching for his axe, Perrin comes face to face with Berlain's Aes Sedi, Anoura. "Please lord golden eyes let me help."Looking to Elyas he nods his head reluctantly. Stepping cattishly by Perrin and the wolves, she bends over the fallen one and goes to work, moving her hands slowly across its body. As her hands move so does the arrow. First twisting and shimming and finally falling to the frozen ground. And where the wound once was, was a bald spot and a small pink scar. Standing, she wipes sweat from her brow and looks to Perrin.

"Anoura, I thought that an Aes Sedi never left a scar after healing?" Elyas asks.

"Well," taking a breath "It seems that our powers do not work the same in some animals, like they do in humans."

"Enough talking." Perrin says with a growl. "Mount up and ride." Running to his mount he pulls himself up and turns Stepper fast back on to the trail. Sharing looks amongst themselves Elyas and Anoura mount their horses and follow suit.

The cold wind blew across his face unnoticed, and his coat flowed free revealing his woolen shirt and pants to the falling snow. Stepper was covered in a thin layer of sweat and froth. Perrin had not stopped for hours and the poor beast was dieing out from underneath him. To his right and left ride his companions Elyas and Aram.Following at a matching pace. The rest of the men have lined up behind him in rows, and at point on foot, is Gaul, with his black veil wrapped tightly around his face. Perrin knows that out of the party which surrounds him, Gaul is the only one who might know his pain. Might know his grief. Riding behind him silent is the figure that of lady Berlain. Wisely she has not tried to offer false condolences. Faile, his beautiful Faile, gone forever. What will he do without her? Suddenly out of the falling snow Gaul strides forward with his eyes ablaze pulling his veil down to his side. 

"Perrin, I found the camp. They number three times that of our party. We all must wake from the dream someday, might as well be today." Said so matter of factly, Perrin knows he should feel a little chill at the sound of recognition in Gaul's voice, the surety of their demise. But he doesn't, he only feels numb. As Gaul had approached Elyas and Berlain came forward to find out what was going on, Anoura accompanied Berlain.

"Perrin," came Elyas' heeding voice "It would be suicide to face so many…"

"I know Elyas, but I will see justice done."

"Justice? Justice, damn it man you want blood. You don't care who's and because of that, the men who follow you will be the ones turning the snow red."

"Elyas, the wolves agree, this is how things need to be done."

"Perrin, The difference between us and them is our humanity. A whole pack will sacrifice it self to take down a fade. We respect human life more, no life, no matter whose is worth sacrificing all of your friends for to get revenge. I know you loved her, I know the feeling. You must think, we can still get justice but we must be smart."

"Elyas I say the smartest thing to do is a direct assault and get as many as we can."

"Perrin, I thought you followed what the wolves say? Open your mind and ask what they think, if you do not trust my advice, that a direct assault is suicide."

Staring at Elyas for a minute, Perrin finally opens his mind to the wolves and asks the question. By showing a picture of a cub attacking a large buck, trying to kill it. If wolves could laugh that would be the immediate response through out the bond. Suddenly Perrin becomes angry and starts to close his mind, when a picture came through the bond that forced him to leave himself open. The picture shown to him was that of two even smaller cubs attacking a larger buck, by nipping at the back legs at different intervals, causing the buck to run until he finally keels over and dies from strain. Getting the solution, Perrin closes himself off from the wolves and prepares to explain the plan to the troops.

Unhappily Gaul kneels in the white powdery snow staring at the Shaido camp from over the mound in front of him. He still sees the image of Chiad laying bloody on the ground, her eyes staring vacantly to the sky; she had finally awoken from the dream. And soon he will too. If only he could have laid the wreath before her. He could not understand how anyone could do to the Gaishan what was done to them. Even the Shaido should have had more honor. Even if they took wet Landers as gaishan. Those sons of dogs should have had more honor. 

Looking to the sky, Gaul judges another hour before the attack. He would have the head of the so-called clan Chief of the Shaido, as his taking. Turning back from the Shaido camp, Gaul looks to his party of attackers. All wet Landers, sitting atop their horses looking pretty in their red and silver cloaks. Berlain's men. They were to be distraction while Perrin and his team attack from the west. And Elyas' from the east.

The snow still floated past Perrin's weathered face. Snowflakes get caught in his beard and he pays no mind. It is time, time for justice. Opening his mind to the wolves, he calls for help. Watching the Shaido in the snow, he sees them move at the sound of the approaching wolves. Running forward with his axe in hand he lets out a vicious cry and enters battle. Swinging left and right, body parts and heads split and fall off. Each swing causes Perrin's blade to come back bloodier and bloodier never caring if he is alone or if the others followed him he rushes forward, cutting Maidens and men with the same vigor, to reach his goal. Sevanna. She will die this day.

Out of the snowy darkness Elyas appears with his troop and Gaul with his. The Shaido were forced into a circle, and were surrounded. Swinging came harder and harder for Perrin as his arm became tired but he doesn't stop. He will make Sevanna pay he will have her head. With a new vigor Perrin pushes forward and pushes harder. Swing harder and faster at every move of his arm. Bodies fell before him and beside him, pulling his lips away from his teeth he yells. "For Faile!" from around him he hears the cheer continued around the circle of Shaido. As time passed and people fell the Shaido were coming closer together and the united troops of Manetheren. But time causes fatigue and fatigue causes death. Some how, a bloody Elyas made it to Perrin.

"Perrin, Perrin!" Pulling him from the battle, the hole left is closed by the forces of Manetheren attacking as hard as ever trying to payback the Shaido for Faile. Perrin's furious golden eyes, stare into Elyas' calm ones. "We must fall back. We have lost a majority of our forces. And the wolves are all but decimated. No one will stop until you say." 

"Are you mad, we are winning!I will have Savanna's head!"

"Perrin, the Shaido in the middle of the circle have been resting themselves. We must withdraw and come up with a different plan."

"No! They will pay."

"I'm sorry Perrin."

"For what…" with that Perrin is laid out by one punch from Elyas. Putting Perrin over his shoulder Elyas yells for retreat, to humans and wolves alike. Some stopped fighting and fled others kept fighting.

"That is an order!" with that the warriors reluctantly withdrew. Losing a few on the way.

The world turned bright then his vision cleared, and standing above him was the Aes Sedi. Jumping up he looked around and could feel a strange sensation in the back of his mind, almost as if another person was…

"You bonded me!? How dare you? End the bond now!" standing beside the Aes Sedi was Elyas and Gaul.

"Perrin," said a worried looking Elyas "she had no choice."

"No choice? No choice!" pulling himself up in the bed he can feel a slight irritation and sort of covering over his mind. "What are you doing Aes Sedi?" He says with contempt. 

A shocked look came upon her face then all of a sudden vanished, "I wouldn't talk to me so warder."

"Warder! Take it off now or I go to the Dragon, and you will wish you were never hatched woman!" anger and hate reigned over his voice, and his eyes glowed a menacing gold.

"Damn it man, calm down! It was either life as a warder or death. We chose life; I know it is terrible, as you know. But it was the only choice, when we retreated, I had you over my shoulder and a Shaido got one good shot as we left, right in your lung, it was a surprise you lasted. But if you were not bonded you would not have been able to survive the healing."

"You retreated? Is Sevanna still alive?"

"Yes and as far as we know, she is. Don't worry we'll get them…"

"Out, I want all of you out now."

"But…"

"I said out." Reluctantly the people left. All save one, Gaul, bloody and battered.

"Perrin, we fought bravely, a great leader knows when to withdraw and re attack. We will find those dogs and show them our blades." With a slight tightening of his eyes and touching fist to chest Gaul leaves an amazed Perrin laying in his tent. Gaul saluted, and for the first time Perrin noticed Gaul wasn't carrying his spears, and at he side hung a blade.


End file.
